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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1983-03-23, Page 44• 1 9 • II . l nIny th a bnauty 0 extenglot• latidinaping lawn nnalnterianee• eakers, slides, • By JOANNE • $I,ICHANAN No matter 'what your fancy, if you are interested - in n}aking 'things grow, the Goderich: Garden Club may be just for you. As well as • offering the fellowship that comes: from members. sharing 'the same interests, informative speakers; slides .and demonstrations can give you new tips: and ideas on just about everything from arranging dried flowers to makingyour lawn look greener. The Goderich Garden Club (at one -time known as the Goderich Horticultural Club) has been around off and on since the very early 1900s. It was founded by a citizen named , Harry Edwards. Over the. years, its membership has fluctuated anywhere from a handful of enthusiastic gardeners to well over 200 people. Presently, the local club has over 40 members and is eagerly looking for more. Meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month at 8 p.m. in Robertson School ( except in July, August and December when there are no meetings at all). As well as the previously mentioned activities, the club takes numerous bits trips, the latest one being planned for June 6 to Wen- tworthioneer Village, Dundurn 'Castle and the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton for the `Iris Show'. Last year, such bus trips took members to the Flower Show in Toronto, the Royal Botanical Gardens, the Pinery, Lambton County Museum and the Agri -Park in Kincardine. Each July, the Goderich Garden Club also holds a Flower Festival incon- junction with the town's Festival ,of the Arts. Flower -. arrangements all centering on a particular theme are set up in 16 niches in the council chambers of the Court House. This is not a com- petition but simply a presentation of beauty for all to enjoy. The Garden Club also supplies and plants the shrubs and flowers which beautify the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital grounds each year and they lend financial support for the shrubs and flowers which are planted by the town and club members in Jubilee Park on Huron Road. • Rows p all offered Money to keep the club • operating and. to 8npply the above-mentioned shrub; and flowers come from merri bership fees,a provI,ncial. government grant, a silver collection at the Flower Festival and a plant auction held every May. The Goderich Garden.Club is just one of 22 clubs. in District 8 of the Ontario Horticultural Society...' Members can attend district meetings as well as the Society's annual convention. "There are a lot of side - benefits from belonging to the (Goderich Garden) Club," says Jean Barnett, a past president of the club and an enthusiastic gar- dener. Mrs. Barnett happens to love roses and at one time had over 200 varieties. ' "There's nothing more beautiful than taking an early morning walk in a rose garden," she enthuses. For many years, Mrs. Barnett lived on various air force bases across the country which meant she had no ground of her own in which to plant things. Now that she has retired to Black's Point Road just outside Goderich, she is making up for lost time. "What makes gardening so exciting and satisfying is that it is man working with God to beautify nature. I like that saying, `Tickle Mother Nature with a hoe and she'll laugh with a harvest.' Gardening is work but it is very rewarding work," she explains. , Mrs. Barnett likes to emphasize that the Goderich Garden Club is not just a club for older women. "We need the strong spade arms of the young people and the men too," she says. Frances Worsell, im- mediate past president of the local club and a very active member for many years, likes the fellowship which the club offers. Gardening for. her has been a most enjoyable hobby since she planted her first big garden after her marriage. Also a member of the local hospital auxiliary, she is one of the green thumbers 'who works so diligently to keep the hospital's flower beds looking beautiful every year. Norma Hazlitt, Goderich Garden Club president this year, says that although she has gardened for many years, she only became a member of the club recently. She says she picks up many ;Lawn itallinlo e fefrticuttling; *Gran sawiling & ;nettling •rertiIi . PHONE; 524 2401 5 Annual we represent many Trust Censpentes, W. are often ..ebte to arretnge for the b ghoft Iotrrein b*.inp. of farted Oro Gu•erenteed Ilmesstreenti Ottrtifiretes. *1ti ilea to ellango . aus r-Kneale Insurance Brokers Earn while you learn... M EXETEi$ CONTI* GRAND BEND GOBERICH 235-2420 482-4747 238.-8484 524-2.118 It's easy with OCAP -- the Ontario Career Action Program. OCAP works this way: If you're bet- ween 16 and 24, out of school and unemployed, we may be able to get you up to 16 weeks oftraining in business or industry. We'II pay you a training allowance, too. OCAP works for you -- most of our trainees successfully find permanent employment. To find out more, call Ellen Frost today. deductions, exsempti.ns and credits to save money on: your T1 GENERAL income tax return. H&.R Bl:pck will help you take advantage of:every possible saving which applies to you. Prices start at OCAP/(519). 653.2511, Ext. 327. Mrs. Frances Worsell, Mrs. Jean Barnett and Mrs. Norma Hazlitt all have something in common besides a• love for ylants. They are all active members of the Goderich Garden Club. Mrs. Hazlitt is the. president and Mrs. Worsell and Mrs. Barnett are both past presidents. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan) different ideas, tips and short cuts from other members and enjoys sharing cuttings of her plants with other members as well. Mrs. Hazlitt was born and raised on a -farm and says that in her day, gardening was a necessity. "Everyone grew their own vegetables back then and with the increasing prices today, I think more and more people are starting to grow their own again," she says. "Gardening has been one of the -. better - .therapies throughout my life. I find it • very relaxing and it gives me a refuge of peace and tranquility." Mrs. Hazlitt is particularly fond of trees and says she is "a great believer in reforestration." ^ Mrs. Barnett, Mrs. Worsell and Mrs. Hazlitt all agree that anyone can have suc- cess at making things grow with a bit of knowledge,. training and practise. And what better way to gain that knowledge, training and practise than by joining the Goderich Garden Club? Green Thumbers to be reactivated BY JOANNE BUCHANAN The Green Thumbers, a junior gardener program affiliated with the Goderich Garden 'Club and *co-sponsored by Art's Landscaping, is about to be reactivated. The first meeting in planned for Friday, April 8 at 7:30, p.m. in Victoria Public School and future meetings will be held the first Friday of each month after that. Mrs. Jean Barnett; a member. of the Goderich Garden Club and a most en- thusiastic gardener herself, started the Green Thumbers group in 1974 and soon built the membership up to 70 children with. 52 of them being very active. However, Mrs. Barnett moved away from Goderich for awhile and the Green Thumbers eventually disbanded without her leadership. It has been inactive for over two years now. Mrs. Barnett is back in Goderich though and is anxious to get the Green Thumbers going again. She has already set up an executive and teed up some. parents as leaders (Mrs. Mary Nelson Will serve as president) and she hopes that a lot of former members will attendthe first meeting. Mr's. Barnett explains that the Green Thumbers is a well -organized group associated with the Department of Agriculture and Food's junior gardener program. Children are divided into two groups, one for ages 8-11 and the other for ages 12-16. They havejoint meetings and activities but are separated into their . groups for cbmpetitions, awards, etc. They conduct their own meetings under the leadership of a senior youth executive. They have, a creed called the 4 Cs— character, challenge, co-operation and competition. They also have handbooks and are given' certificates of merit, awards,.. badges, etc for participation• in club activities judged on a point system. Activities will include nature hikes under the supervision of knowledgeable adults; picnics and bus trips (tentatively one would be to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton); gardening in- structions; flower arranging demon- strations; a garden competition (juniors who plant and maintain their own small gardens with seeds and stock supplied by the club, will have them judged by a team of senior garden club ahnembers in August with awards going to the top winners); a flower show in late. August (with crafts, collections and hobbies also being a part of this); and public plantings in co-operation with the town's Parks Board. "You can teach children so much (about gardening)," says Mrs. Barnett. With her enthusiasm, the Green Thumbers should become an active part of this community again in no time. Library has new reader The Huron County Public Library wishes to inform its patrons that a new service is now available at the GoderichBranch Library that will' be of special in- terest to historical" and genealogical researchers. The Huron.County Library Board has purchased a 3m - 500 LM Microfilm Reader/Printer which will allow patrons to make ex- cellent quality copies of materials on microfilm for only 25 cents per copy. A researche. using the early editions of a local newspaper on microfilm, for example, can now make copies of the pages he desires instead of tediously writing down the information they contain. As well as nra-king the microfilm collection at the Goderich Branch Library more convenient to use, this new service will be of great benefit to those borrowing microfilmed materials through interlibrary loan. The passenger lists of ships bringing new inunignants to Canada and early editions of newspapers outside Huron County'are on- ly two examples of the in- teresting historical records available to researchers on microfilm through in- terlibrary loan Since items borrowed, through interlibrary loan are only on loan for a relatively short time, the usefulness of being able to make copies is even more apparent. This new addition to the library will be a most welcome one to those using microfilmed materials. Conestoga College of ted Arts 'and echnology 18.000P° at participating offices. It pays to be prepared — by H&R Block H&R BLOCK THE INCOME TAX SPECIALISTS 41. 19 .Victoria St. Ns . Goderich Open 9 A.M.-S P.M. Weekdays, 9.4 Sot. /hone 524.Ni{ OPEN TODAY.NO APPOINTMENT NICdSSARY ITS TIME( TO SAVE! 1 If you're looking for super values, it will pay you to SHOP CLINTON It's our second big one day Surprise. Sale FRIDAY MARCH 25 9 AM -9 PM Hold Iii Drop whatever you wore planning for Friday and come to Clin- ton's second Surprise Salo. Most stores will be open for 12 hours, from 9-9, with super values on a 'roman - dour variety of quality merchandise. If you thought other sales were great . lust wait 'till this Friday in Clinton! Sod you there. Enter Clinton B.I.A.'s Free Draw e You Could WIN -'1. "00. CAS H ,lust sign and address your sales slip on Surprise Sale Day. Friday, March 25, and leave it in the store. Draw to be made Monday morning March 28 Sponsored b CLINTON,Abe1S1IdS=S .. IMPOVIMENIT ARTA